The three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday delivered the much-awaited historic judgement on the contentious issue of Ram temple-Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
Here are the main points in the judgement:
1. The disputed land in Ayodhya where a makeshift temple was built after razing the Babri mosque in 1992 was Lord Ram's birthplace.
2. The disputed land can be split among three contesting parties equally. namely Hindu Mahasabha, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Central Waqf Board.
3. The central dome of the disputed structure, where idols of Lord Ram are presently kept in the makeshift temple, should be allotted to Hindus.
4. One of the judges, Justice S U Khan ruled that the mosque was built by Babar, not by demolishing a temple, but on the ruins of a temple.
5. Justice D V Sharma categorically rejected the claim of Sunni Central Waqf Board and has ruled that the 'disputed site is the birth place of Lord Rama'.
6. The Sita rasoi and Ram Chabootara can be given to Nirmohi Akhara.
7. None of the litigants would take any action on the land for the next three months.
What judges said:
Justice S U Khan: "Disputed structure was constructed as mosque by or under orders of Babar. It is not proved by direct evidence that premises in dispute including constructed portion belong to Babar or the person who constructed the mosque. No temple was demolished for constructing the mosque, but it was constructed on the ruins of the temple or some of its material was used in the construction of the mosque."
Justice Sudhir Agarwal: " It is declared that the area covered by the central dome of the three domed structure, the disputed structure being the deity of Bhagwan Ram Janma Sthan and place of birth of Lord Rama as per faith and belief of the Hindus, belong to plaintiff- Bhagwan Sri Ram Virajman. and shall not be obstructed or interfered in any manner by the defendants, Rajendra Singh and others."
Justice Dharam Veer Sharma: "The disputed site is the birth place of Lord Rama. Disputed building was constructed by Babar, the year is not certain, but it was built against the tenets of Islam. Thus it cannot have the character of a mosque. The disputed structure was constructed on the site of old structure after demolition of the same. The ASI has proved that the structure was a massive Hindu religious structure. The idols were placed in the middle dome of the disputed structure in the intervening night of 22/23 December 1949."
